TAI Pelikan

TAI Pelikan, aka IHA-X2, is a radio-controlled reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition drone. Designed, developed and built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a half scale model of the tactical drone TAI Baykuş air platform. It was produced as a training and bridge platform to the TAI Baykuş.^[1]

TAI Pelikan
Role	Unmanned drone reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition
Manufacturer	Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI)
First flight	15 December 2003
Status	Only prototypes are produced, program ended.

Pelikan is the Turkish word for species pelican. TAI has some other UAV's named after birds.

Development

The shoulder-winged UAV has all composite material airframe with metal twin tail booms. The drone is propelled by two 2-cylinder 2-stroke gasoline engines of type Zenoah G38 from Japan with 4 x 2.2 hp (1.6 kW) power.^[2] There exist two versions of TAI Pelikan related to propeller configuration, a pusher and a tractor aircraft. The drone carries a two-axis gimbaled EO/IR camera, which relays its video in real-time telemetry. Its guidance/tracking takes place fully autonomous based on INS/GPS integrated waypoint navigation system. Take off and landing of the drone is accomplished in conventional way on wheels.^[1][3]

Specifications

Data from RUVSA Russian Unmanned Vehicle Systems Association - TR Defence^[3][1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 0
• Length: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 3.60 m (11 ft 10 in)
• Empty weight: 20 kg (44 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 35 kg (77 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Zenoah G38 2-cylinder two-stroke engine

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn)
• Endurance: 6 hr
• Service ceiling: 1,525 m (5,003 ft)